At least 143 dead in DR Congo river boat fire tragedy

At least 143 people lost their lives and many remain missing after a fuel-laden boat caught fire and capsized on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), officials said.

The disaster occurred on Tuesday near Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur Province, where the Ruki River meets the Congo River. Hundreds of people were reportedly on board the wooden vessel when a fire broke out, causing a devastating explosion.

According to regional officials, the blaze was triggered when a woman lit a cooking fire too close to stored fuel, leading to a massive blast. “Many of the victims were women and children,” said one official. Several of the recovered bodies were severely charred.

Rescue teams recovered 131 bodies on Wednesday, followed by 12 more over the next two days, bringing the total confirmed death toll to 143. However, the actual number may be higher as many passengers are still unaccounted for.

Videos shared online showed a large blaze engulfing the boat, thick smoke rising into the air as people on smaller boats looked on helplessly.

The exact number of passengers remains unknown due to the lack of an official manifest. Survivors have been taken to nearby hospitals, while families continue searching for loved ones.

In the DRC, river transport is often the only option for many due to limited road networks and air travel. However, overcrowded and poorly maintained boats frequently lead to deadly accidents.

Similar tragedies have occurred in recent years. In October 2023, a boat accident in the same region killed at least 47 people. In 2019, around 100 people died when a vessel sank on Lake Kivu in eastern DRC.